Stocks heading toward record highs

9:53 AM,
Jul. 24, 2013

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on June in New York. Lower stock prices in June offset positive indicators, including high consumer confidence, in the Conference Board's index of economic indicators, which remained unchanged in June.

Written by

Adam Shell
USA TODAY

Benchmark stock indexes were trading higher today as the Standard & Poor's 500 index continued to flirt with passing the 1,700 milestone.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.2%, and the S&P 500 was up 0.3%. The Nasdaq composite index was up 0.7%.

Investors are reacting positively to quarterly earnings beats and more bullish 2013 forward guidance from blue chips, such as automaker Ford Motor and aerospace giant Boeing, which reported earnings before the bell. ...